Show c U u r r. r 11 ii r rt By 3 j Charles Dickens L mt aroi Service Miserly tight tight fisted selfish old Scrooge who ho didn't believe In Christmas was awakened one Christmas night by the ghost of his dead partner In chains forged by his own misdeeds his partner warned that even a worse fate awaited him adding that three spirits would D INSTALLMENT THREE STAVE THREE I I. I The Second of the Ute Three Spirits rat l' l A Awaking waking in the middle of a 8 prodigiously pro pro- k i tough snore Scrooge hadi had no ao occasion to be told that the bell was again upon the stroke of af One Now his bed became the very core and center of a blaze of ruddy light which streamed upon it when the clock proclaimed the hour Light might be in the room He got up softly softly soft sott- ly and shuffled in his slippers to the door It was his own room But it had bad undergone a surprising tion lion Living green filled It that It looked a perfect grove The crisp leaves of holly mistletoe and Ivy reflected back the light as if so many little mirrors had been scattered scattered scattered scat scat- there and heaped up on the floor to form a kind of throne were turkeys geese game poultry brawn great joints of meat barrels bar bar- refs reIs of oysters red hot chestnuts oranges oranges oranges or or- anges and seething bowls of punch In easy state upon this couch there sat a jolly Giant GiantI If I 1 I am the Ghost of Christmas Present Present said the Spirit You have never seen the like of c me before It Il continued Never Ne Scrooge answered Have never walked forth with the younger members of my family family ly meaning for I 1 am very young my elder brothers born In these later years pursued the Phantom I 1 dont don't think I 1 have said sai Scrooge Have you had many brothers Spirit More than eighteen hundred said the Ghost Spirit said Scrooge submissively submissive submissive- ly conduct me where you will I 1 went forth last night on compulsion and I 1 learnt a lesson which is workIng working working work- work Ing now Tonight if you have aught to teach me let me profit by It it Touch my robe Scrooge did as he was told and held it fast They stood in the city streets on Christmas morn But soon the steeples called good people all to church And at the same time there appeared many people carrying their their- dinners to the bakers' bakers shops The sight of these poor revellers appeared to I interest the Spirit very ranch much for he stood with Scrooge beside him in a bakers baker's bakers baker's bakers baker's bak bak- ers er's doorway and taking off oft the covers covers cov cov- covers ers as their bearers passed sprinkled sprinkled sprinkled sprin sprin- kled incense on their dinners from his torch And it was a very uncommon uncommon uncommon un un- un- un common kind of torch for once or twice when there were angry words between some dinner carriers who had jostled each other he shed a afew afew afew few drops of water on on them from irom It and their good humour was restored directly For they said it was a shame to quarrel upon Christmas Day And so it was God loved it Is there a peculiar flavour in what you sprinkle from your torch asked Scrooge There is My own Would it apply to any kind of dinner dinner din din- ner ner on this day asked Scrooge To any kindly given To a poor j It one me most ost a poor one most asked Scrooge Scrooge g 1 It Because B c use it needs it most Perhaps Perhaps haps It was the Spirits Spirit's sympathy sympathy sym sym- pathy with all poor men that led him straight to Scrooges Scrooge's clerks On the threshold of the door the spirit smiled and stopped to bless Bob Cra dwelling with the sprinklings of his torch Then up rose Mrs wife dressed out but p poorly orly in a twice turned gown but brave In ribbons which are cheap and make a goodly show for sixpence six sixpence pence and she laid the cloth assisted assisted assisted as as- by Belinda second of her daughters also brave in ribbons ribbons rib rib- bons while Master Peter plunged a fork Into the saucepan of potatoes And now two smaller boy and girl came tearing in screaming that outside the bakers baker's j. j they had smelt the goose and known It for their own 4 if What has ever got your precious father then said Mrs J And your brother Tiny Tim And Martha as late last Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas Day by half an hour Heres Martha mother cried the two young Hurrah I Theres There's such a goose Martha Marthal Why bless your heart alive my dear how late you are arc said Mrs kissing kissinger her er a dozen times We Wed d a deal of work to finish up last night replied the girl and had to clear away this morning Well Never mind so so long as you are come said Mrs j Sit ye down before the fire No not nol no Theres There's father coming r f cried the two young ts t Hide Martha hide So Martha hid herself and in ini i ame jame little Bob the father Tiny Tim rim upon l his s shoulder Alas for tor torI I iny my Tim he bore a little crutch Why wheres where's our Martha cried t Bob looking round 7 Not coming said Mrs Not coming said Bob Not No NotI t I I f i j l r TOE TilE STORY SO FAR FAB ghost como come to visit him The u. u u.-i u. t showed Scrooge his former self Together er they watched Scrooge one Christmas as he stood alone In front of his school when a n young oung boy lie He was shown again the friends he had known as a 8 youth during his apprenticeship How lIow he thrilled 1 t r d f r ft S 'S r 1 1 i r I ft WW f 7 I 1 h r IF i Eck S i 4 N r Tiny Tim upon his shoulder coming upon Christmas Day Martha didn't like to see him disappointed disappointed disappointed dis dis- appointed If It were only in joke so she came out prematurely from behind the closet door and ran into his ils arms while the two young oung hustled Tiny Tim and bore him off into the wash-house wash that hat he might hear the pudding singing singIng sing sing- Ing jig In the copper And how did little Tim behave asked Mrs when she had rallied Bob on his credulity and Bob had lad hugged his daughter to his hearts heart's content As good as gold said Bob and better Somehow he gets thoughtful thought thought- ful sitting by himself so much and thinks the strangest things you ever heard leard He told me coming home that hat he hoped the people saw him himin himin himin in in the church because he was a cripple and it might be pleasant to them hem to remember upon Christmas Day who made lame beggars walk and blind men see Bobs Bob's voice was tremulous when he le told them this and trembled more when he said that Tiny Tim was growing strong and hearty Master Peter and the two ubiquitous ubiquitous ubiquitous tous young went to fetch the goose with which they soon returned returned returned re re- re- re turned in high procession Such a bustle ensued that you might have thought a goose the rarest rarest rarest est of all birds Mrs made the he gravy ready beforehand in a little ittle saucepan hissing hot Master Maser Master Mas- Mas ter er Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigour Miss Belinda sweetened up the sauce apple-sauce Martha Marha Martha Mar- Mar tha ha dusted the hot plates Bob took Tiny Ti Tim n beside him In th a tiny corner cor cor- corner ner at the thee table the two young set chairs hairs for tor everybody not forgetting themselves and crammed spoons into their mouths lest they should shriek for goose before before before be be- fore their turn came to be helped At last the dishes were set on and grace was said It was vas was succeeded by a breathless pause as Mrs looking slowly all along the he knife carving-knife prepared to plunge it in the breast but when she did and when the long expected gush of stuffing issued forth one murmur of delight arose all round the board and md even Tiny Tim excited by the two young beat on the th-e ta table table table ta- ta ble with the handle of his knife and feebly cried Hurrah There never was such a goose Bob said he didn't believe there ever was such a goose cooked Its tenderness and flavour size and cheapness were the themes of universal universal universal uni uni- versal admiration Eked out by apple sauce and mashed potatoes it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family The youngest Cratch Cratch- its in particular were steeped in sage and onion to the eyebrows But now the plates being changed by Miss Belinda Mrs left the room alone too alone too nervous to bear witnesses witnesses-to to take the pudding up and bring it in Hallo A great deal of steam The pudding was out of af the copper Oh a wonderful pudding Bob said and calmly too that he regarded it as the greatest success success suc sue cess achieved by Mrs since their marriage Everybody had something to say about it but nobody nobody no no- body said or thought it was at all a small pudding for a large family It would have been flat fiat heresy to do so Any would have blushed to hint at such a thing At last the dinner was all done all the family drew round the hearth In what Bob called a circle ircle meaning half a one and at Bob elbow stood the family display of glass Two tumblers and a custard custard cup cup without without with with- out a handle These held the hot stuff from the jug however as well as golden goblets goblets goblets gob gob- lets would have done Then Bob proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed A Merry Christmas to us all an my dears God bless us Which all the family re reechoed God bless us every everyone one said Tiny Tim the last of oil all c j i tl z iI ic to the scene showing their Christmas eve evo gayety and the generosity of his employer When he saw the home of his former sweetheart when her husband came home on Christmas eve with presents presents pres pres- for their happy children he fell exhausted exhausted ex ex- hausted upon his bed Now continue with the story He sat very close to his fathers father's side upon his little stool Bob held his withered little hand as if it he dreaded he might be taken from him Spirit said Scrooge tell me if Tiny Tim will live I see a vacant seat scat replied the Ghost In the poor chimney cor ner ncr and a n crutch without an owner carefully preserved If these shadows shadows shadows shad shad- remain unaltered by the Future Future Fu Fu- ture the child will die No no said Scrooge Oh no kind Spirit say he will be bo spared If these shadows remain unaltered unaltered unaltered unal unal- by the Future none other of my race returned the Ghost will find him here What then If he hebe hebe hebe be like to die he had better do it it and decrease the surplus tion Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit Man said the Ghost if man you be in In heart not ada adamant ant forbear forbear forbear for for- bear that wicked cant until you have discovered What Wha t the surplus Is and Where it is Will you decide what men shall live what men shall die It may be that in the sight of Heaven you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor mans man's child Oh God Godl to hear the Insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life lite among his hungry brothers In the dust Scrooge bent before the Ghosts Ghost's rebuke and trembling cast his eyes upon the ground But he raised them speedily on hearing his own name Mr Scrooge I said Bob Ill give you OU Mr Scrooge the Founder of the Feast The Founder of the Feast indeed indeed in in- deed cried Mrs redden redden- ing I wish I had him here Id I'd give him a piece of my mind My dear said Bob the children children chil chil- dren Christmas Day It should be Christmas Day I 1 Iam Iam am sure said she on which one drinks the health of such an odious stingy hard unfeeling man as Mr Scrooge You know he Is Robert Nobody knows it better than you do poor fellow My dear was Bobs Bob's mild answer an an- Christmas Day Ill drink his health for tor your sake and the Days Day's said Mrs not for his Long life lite to him himl The children drank the toast after her It was the first of their proceedings proceedings proceedings pro pro- which had no heartiness Tiny Tim Tun drank it last of all but buthe buthe buthe he didn't care two pence for it Scrooge was the Ogre of the family After it had passed away they were ten times merrier than before Bob told them how he had hada a situation in his eye for Master Peter which would bring in if obtained obtained ob oh- tamed full sixpence five week week- ly The two young laughed tremendously at the Idea of Peters Peter's being a man of business and Peter himself looked thoughtfully at the fire from between his collars as if he were deliberating what particular lar investments he should favour when he came into the receipt of that bewildering income Martha who was a poor apprentice at a milliners milliner's milliners milliner's milliners milliner's mil mil- liners liner's then told them what kind of work she had to do and how many hours she worked at a stretch and how she meant to lie abed tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomor tomor- row morning for a good long rest And now without a word of warning warning warning warn warn- ing the Ghost and Scrooge moved on A light shone from the window of a hut A cheerful company assembled assembled assembled as as- round a glowing fire A place where miners live who labour In the bowels of the earth explained the Spirit But they know me See Seer The Spirit did not tarry here but passing on above the moor sped sped sped- whither Not to sea To sea They lighted on a ship They stood beside beside beside be be- side the helmsman at the wheel the lookout out in the bow the officers who had the watch dark ghostly figures figures figures fig fig- ures in their several stations but every man among them hummed a Christmas tune or had a Christmas Christ Christmas mas thought 1 TO BE DE CONTINUED |